Zimbabwe national cricket team captain Sikandar Raza has sent a stern warning to the Indian national cricket team ahead of the three-match T20 series starting in Harare from July 23. Sikandar Raza said that his team is ready to challenge the T20 World Cup champion on home ground.
Despite India’s strong reputation, Raza believes the upcoming T20I series will be a close contest and not a one-sided affair, adding to their recent embarrassments on the Ireland and England tours. Captain Shreyas Iyer is under a lot of pressure after losing 6 out of 7 T20 matches. Earlier, Sikandar Raza sent a big message to India regarding Vaibhav Suryavanshi before the T20 series.
Sikandar Raza warns Shreyas Iyer’s struggling Team India ahead of T20I series
The Men in Blue are entering the Zimbabwe tour after their forgettable performances in white-ball cricket. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, they lost the two-match T20I series against Ireland in Belfast 0-2 before suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat in the five-match T20I series against England.
They also failed to impress in the ODI series under Shubman Gill and lost the three-match series to England 2–1. Looking at India’s recent performance, Sikandar Raza feels that both the teams have equal chances of winning the upcoming T20 series.
The Zimbabwe captain also reminded everyone about his team’s recent impressive performances in this format. One of their biggest achievements came during the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Zimbabwe stunned Australia with a stunning 23-run win in Colombo.
Both teams will have equal chances in this series: Sikandar Raza
Zimbabwe’s famous victory played a major role in Australia’s unexpected exit from the tournament. Zimbabwe also won important T20 series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh this year. And Raza stressed that these wins are enough for his team to beat India on home soil.
“Both the countries will have equal chances in this series. But one thing I am absolutely sure about is that because Zimbabwe is playing very consistent and very entertaining cricket, I can definitely say that this series will be very entertaining,” Sikandar Raza said on Star Sports.
I think, as far as win or loss is concerned, which is important for both the countries, I think both the countries have equal chances to win the series. Earlier, Saba Karim sent a big message after Rohit Sharma’s brilliant Lord’s century.
Sikandar Raza says India’s turnaround gives Zimbabwe a big opportunity
The experienced all-rounder revealed another reason why the upcoming T20 series will be a tough contest: because both the teams are going through a rebuilding phase.
While the Men in Blue are trying out new players under a new T20I captain, Zimbabwe are also revamping their squad and building a new set of players for the future.
Raza concluded by saying, “Yes, I think India is also going through a change, and I think to some extent you will see there is going to be a bit of a change in Zimbabwe too. I don’t think it will be a one-sided series.”
Big statement from Sikandar Raza before Zimbabwe vs India series!
“Both teams have equal chances to win the series.”
Raza said that India is going through a phase of change, while Zimbabwe is also going through a phase of change. He believes Zimbabwe is playing… pic.twitter.com/9GIafAInUl
— Spotlight Central (@avbvikash1810) July 21, 2026
Notably, both the Indian and Zimbabwe teams have clashed 10 times in T20 Internationals, with the Men in Blue winning seven matches while Zimbabwe claimed three wins. The last time they faced each other was during the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup, where India defeated Zimbabwe by 72 runs.
